Will Seahawks Re-Enter Mix to Trade for Maxx Crosby After Nixed Ravens Deal?
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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images [/caption]
For most of the second and final day of the NFL’s legal tampering period leading up to the official start of free agency, the scene stood eerily quiet, with uncharacteristically minimal player movement after a furious first day of action on Monday.
But everything changed in an instant when the Las Vegas Raiders dropped an unexpected news bomb on football analysts and fans shortly after 5 PM PT via their social media accounts, unleashing a statement indicating that the Baltimore Ravens had “backed out” of the trade previously agreed upon between the two teams that would have sent All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Charm City for a pair of first round draft picks in 2026 and 2027.
Multiple reports soon followed confirming Baltimore failed Crosby’s physical, nullifying the deal before it could become official on March 11. Only six weeks removed from surgery to repair a meniscus in his knee, on the surface, such a development should not be viewed as a surprise. But the Ravens - and every other team that inquired about trading for the pass rushing maestro - knew that he had undergone surgery and thus he should not have been expected to be able to “pass” a physical while rehabbing, making the decision to nix the deal all the more confounding.
Whether there’s more to it than health concerns or not, Crosby’s stint with the Ravens ended before it ever actually began, creating a disastrous situation for the Raiders and casting more questions than answers in regard to what will be next for both franchises. Las Vegas went on a spending spree on the first day of free agency, and now, the star defender’s massive contract will remain on the books indefinitely. As for Baltimore, rumors quickly spread of the team’s interest in signing free agent Trey Hendrickson, which may have spurned the decision to fail Crosby’s physical and keep both first round picks instead.
Dominos will now fall in a different direction across the league as a consequence of the stunning reversal, with Las Vegas now holding less control over future negotiations on multiple fronts and Baltimore’s cold feet opening the door for another team to potentially jump back into the fray in an attempt to trade for superstar. Linked multiple times to Crosby over the past 12 months with general manager John Schneider smitten over the ferocious pass rusher, all eyes will be on the Seattle Seahawks re-emerging as a possible suitor amid changing circumstances.
Turning back the clock to last March coming out of the annual NFL combine, Schneider held phone conversations with Raiders general manager John Spytek as he sought out trades for quarterback Geno Smith and receiver DK Metcalf before the start of free agency. Early in those discussions, Seattle’s initial offer included both players in exchange for Crosby with draft picks being exchanged by each side, quickly to be shot down as a non-starter.
Smith eventually was dealt to Las Vegas for a third round pick, while Metcalf landed with Pittsburgh in a separate trade for a second round pick. Coming off a season where he produced 7.5 sacks in 12 games, Crosby, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension on March 5, which seemed to all but eliminate the possibility of a trade anytime in the near future.
Seven months later, with the Seahawks in the heat of a three-way battle atop the NFC West as the trade deadline approached, Schneider rang up Spytek again, hoping to be able to work out a deal for Crosby to further fortify their top-five defense as the Raiders tumbled out of contention in late place in the AFC West. But his overtures again were turned away with Las Vegas showing no interest in swinging a trade and choosing to hang onto its most prized player.
Even after winning Super Bowl LX in February, Seattle continued to be connected to Crosby as speculation grew that Las Vegas had started fielding offers to move the veteran. But unlike the deadline when Schneider had more draft capital to work with before shipping fourth and fifth round selections to the Saints for receiver Rashid Shaheed, the Seahawks currently only have four selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, and other suitors with more to offer such as the Ravens and Cowboys could meet the Raiders’ lofty demands of multiple first round picks or a first round pick, second round pick, and young starter.
Whether the Raiders want to publicly acknowledge it or not, however, the tables have now turned away from their favor on every front. If Spytek still demands two first round picks, good luck getting any team to cough up such a package for a player whose health coming off a surgery clearly spooked the Ravens. Choosing to keep Crosby on the roster moving forward carries major complications, as it may be difficult to mend fences after the team already had traded him and the much-needed picks to accelerate an ongoing rebuild no longer sit in the the organization’s proverbial balance sheet.
In addition, the number of suitors who could express interest in making a deal and thus drive up the price has now taken a significant hit as well with Dallas trading with Green Bay for Rashan Gary earlier this week and several other teams now lacking the cap space to be able to absorb Crosby’s massive contract after signing free agents.
Considering the Raiders lack of leverage at this point, there’s no way the Seahawks haven’t already reached out to inquire once again about Crosby’s availability to see if they can finally get Spytek to work with them. Assuming the cost of striking a deal has taken a major hit after the blockbuster with the Ravens unraveled, even with limited draft assets at his disposal, Schneider has shown in the past that he’s more than willing to move late first round picks for a proven talent, and this would be for a big fish he has been trying to reel in for a long time that would fill a significant need following the departure of Boye Mafe to the Bengals on Monday.
If Las Vegas decides it is willing to settle for a bit less, a package with a first and second-round pick or a first and third round pick with a player, could be a feasible exchange for Seattle, if not one Schneider would happily sign off on for a player of Crosby’s caliber.
As for another reason why Seattle remains in the discussion as a landing spot for Crosby, thanks to a cautious approach early in free agency as other teams splurged to sign a few key players off the Super Bowl team, including Ken Walker III and Mafe, the franchise has a healthy salary cap situation. With $39 million in effective cap space, per OverTheCap.com, Schneider has the financial flexibility to be able to bring on the former Eastern Michigan standout before implementing a contract restructure to open up more room for the present, something that few teams could do right now after the first wave of free agent spending.
Largely due to their limited draft ammunition, the Seahawks still might not have enough bullets to acquire Crosby even if they desire to do so. It’s also possible the team has a different viewpoint on dealing for him now than it did a week or two ago after the Ravens decided not to finalize a trade due to health issues. Such situations always are fluid in the NFL, especially for a player who has logged nearly 6,500 defensive snaps in seven NFL seasons.
But in the past, when Schneider has wanted a marquee player like Crosby, he has found a way to orchestrate the move. An anticipated dip in acquisition price absolutely puts the Seahawks back in the race with the superstar back on the trade block and at minimum, it should be an expectation that they will be heavily involved in renewed discussions to see if they can get a seat at the table for one of the best defenders in the league at a position of short and long-term need.
